The Good News According to Luke: Part 11

The Good News According to Luke: Part 11

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: We must regularly check ourselves and strive to stay near the heart of God to produce the fruit that Jesus desires in our lives.  

• Don’t Fool Yourself

• Don’t Miss the Point

• Don’t Miss Jesus

Don’t Fool Yourself

We must make sure that we are not fooling ourselves in our walk with God.  

Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"”

We deceive ourselves thinking we are right with God when we simply compare ourselves to others who we think live worse lives than ourselves.  

It’s never about how you measure up to others - God will judge you based on how you do or do not obey his commands.  

It is not enough to simply say you believe.  

God is looking for fruit from our lives.  

Repentance means to change our minds, submit to God’s truth and go in a different direction.  

From what things are we to repent?

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

If you’ve found that you have been a tree planted in his vineyard without producing any fruit, this is a wake-up call to repent so that you are not eventually cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:7-10).  

Never forget that the thing that can cause you to grow and save your life may be repugnant to you (stink like manure) at first.  

Be careful not to reject God’s mercy to you in this way. 

Don’t Fool Miss the Point 

We must stay close to the heart of Jesus to make sure we are bearing the fruit he wants us to bear.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."”

Even if you’ve found yourself crippled by sin, spiritual torment or disease for years, Jesus has the power to heal you.  

God works through process, but Jesus can also miraculously do in an instant what seems impossible or would take a lifetime to correct.  

Either way, know the heart of the Father and give him the opportunity to move on your and other people’s behalf.  

We can often miss the fact that God does and wants to work miracles in people’s lives when we try to box Jesus into theological constructs with which we are most comfortable and can control.  

Yet Jesus reiterates the point that the Kingdom of God is a small seed that should grow to touch every area of our lives - so much so, that it begins to provide a resting place and shelter for others looking for hope.  

Don’t let your history put a limit on the future God wants to open up to you as you come to know Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in new ways.  

Because God is inexhaustible, the nature of his Kingdom implies that we are always learning, always growing, always changing to become more like Christ.  

Don’t Miss Jesus

We must submit and come Christ’s way if we ever hope to enter the Kingdom of God. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:22‬-‭35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"”

There is a difference between being in the presence of God and in his pleasure.  

We must enter through the narrow door of faith in Jesus’ saving work at the cross, subsequent resurrection from the dead and our confession of Christ as Lord (Romans 10:8-13). 

Committing to Jesus as Lord means an absolute submission to God’s commands and following the specific direction of the Holy Spirit in your life by which you will glorify God (Ephesians 2:8-10).  

Many who have found themselves merely in a culture of Christianity will find themselves shut out of the Kingdom because they did not live for God’s pleasure.  

We know that Jesus longs to bring us to himself because of the great lengths to which he went to live sinlessly for us, die sacrificially for the forgiveness of our sins and through his resurrection from the dead provide eternal life for us.  

There is no other person, way or name by which we can be saved.  

Let’s come to repentance and embrace the heart of God today to make sure that we are not missing Jesus by simply being in his presence rather than living for his pleasure.  

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 10

The Good News According to Luke: Part 10

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: To truly walk with Jesus, you need to ask yourself where you find your loyalties, your treasure and your life.  

• Where are Your Loyalties?

• Where is Your Treasure?

• Where is Your Life?

Where are Your Loyalties?

The times in which we live will test your integrity and your loyalty to Christ.

Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.””

As the people of God, we must walk in integrity, meaning that we are the same in our love for Jesus and others no matter where we find ourselves or who we are around.  

God knows that we live in a fallen world where people neither honor him, nor revere his commands.  

Nonetheless, he expects our allegiance to be first to him, even in the face of persecution. 

In such a way, we know that we have God’s backing in all that we say and do as we look to represent him in the world he came to redeem.   

Where is Your Treasure?

The times in which we live will expose what is in our hearts and show where our hearts truly lie.  

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬-‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

It is not wrong to have a blessed life - it is wrong to sacrifice the pursuit of the Kingdom of God for that life.  

The parable of the rich fool is speaking directly to the American Dream and what our generation feels like is its inalienable right to unlimited worldly success and pleasure. 

People live for themselves and their own personal enjoyment with no regard for the future, the Kingdom of Christ or standing before God in judgment.  

This is not good. 

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Let no one be deceived.  

According to Jesus, we know what and who we love by how we spend our time and our money. 

Tithes (giving our first and best ten percent of all of our income to God) and offerings (it is time for our annual clothing drive at Second City for the needy of the city) are what God uses to keep our hearts anchored in him. 

God wants to free you from F.O.M.O. 

God wants to give you a proper perspective on Y.O.L.O. 

God will judge how we spend our time, talent and treasure.  

How will he judge you?

Where is Your Life?

The times in which we live will require us to determine from what source we are seeking life.  

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭35‬-‭59‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.””

Do you have a zeal like Jesus for the Kingdom of God?

God expects to find us doing his business when he returns.  

We need to live as ready servants, eagerly awaiting our Master’s return.  

Jesus lived a sinless life of Kingdom focus to be the example of where true life should be derived - in the presence of and in eternal service to Almighty God.  

He died on the cross for our shortcomings, that we might, in repentance, turn away from self-absorbed living that is a bottomless pit taking life from us, rather than giving it to us.  

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough": Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."”

After his suffering and three days in the grave, Jesus rose from the dead victoriously and will make his return to judge all of the living and the dead - providing rewards for those who were faithfully serving his purposes as they sped his coming, punishing those who instead chose hedonism as they were in their wait. 

True life is only found in Jesus.  

We need to be those who are discerning enough to know from what other sources we’ve been looking for life and turn from these false gods to serve our risen King!

The question remains, how will he find you when he comes?  

Jose’s story of a young man who was shot defending a woman harassed on the street. 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 9

The Good News According To Luke: Part 9

Pastor Cole Parleir

Luke 10 set us up for a teaching on prayer.  Jesus commends Mary’s decision to set at his feet and learn from him rather than be distracted by what seems necessary.  This approval of Mary coupled with Jesus’ own prayer life and powerful ministry, causes the disciples to take note and ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.

Focus: God cares about our heart so he gives miracles to awaken us to hear His Word that we may become disciples of Jesus Christ and experience true blessing.

• Pray with Jesus

• Work with Jesus

• Cleansed by Jesus

Pray With Jesus (Luke 11:1-13)

Disciples look to Jesus to teach them to pray powerfully.  When they do, they and the world are transformed. 

“Now Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,[b]

4 and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

• God’s kingdom come on earth as in heaven is the goal of the prayer of a disciple of Jesus.

• Disciples should ask God for their daily needs that are physical (food) and spiritual (forgiveness of sin and deliverance from temptation) while interceding for the physical and spiritual needs of others as well.

• Disciples are those whom God desires to be free from offense. This requires a daily forgiveness of those who sin against them.

• Effective faith filled prayer is that which can be impudent and persistent with great expectation laid upon the sovereign Lord.

• We pray in faith because our prayers are focused on the manifestation of God’s promise and not our own desire.

• God’s goodness and faithfulness are the foundation we kneel upon in prayer. He delights in giving the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. When we have the promised Holy Spirit at work in us we can go from praying intimately with Jesus to working powerfully with Him.

Work with Jesus (Luke 11:14-23)

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil by delivering and healing those in Satan’s grip.

“Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

• Jesus cares for the hurting by turning compassion into action.

• Working with Jesus is always miraculous for he is always setting the captives of Satan free, healing the broken, and preaching good news to the poor.

• Jesus’ miracles and those he does through us will be a sign and wonder provoking a 3 fold response from witnesses: marvel, accusation, or testing.

  • 1) Marvel which leads to repentance, salvation, and worship at God’s goodness and power.

  • 2) Reject the miracle as demonic leading to a hard heart.

  • 3) Testing of God by asking for a ‘sign from heaven’ when Jesus’ presence is the sign from heaven.

• Unity matters. Satan will attack the churches unity so we must be aware of it and fight to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

• Neutrality regarding Jesus’ divinity and mission is not an option.

• Deliverance MUST be followed with discipleship.

“There is no discipleship without deliverance, and there is no deliverance without discipleship” - Dr. Leo Lawson

• There is no spiritual vacuum or 'emptying your mind'. It will be filled by something, so fill it with God's Word and Spirit as a disciple.

• We must go from a ‘believer’ to a ‘disciple’ to experience the increase of his kingdom on earth.

Cleansed by Jesus (Luke 11:37-54)

Jesus came to shed his blood because it’s the only work that can make us truly clean on the inside and eternally blessed. 

“While Jesus[a] was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.”

• We need to be made clean on the inside.

• An evil generation focuses on behavior modification (cleansing the outside of the cup and dish) rather than being clean on the inside where God sees, judges, and blesses.

• Jesus, the Son of Man and Son of God, would go to the cross for our deliverance from sin, cleansing our hearts, and would be resurrected 3 days later as a final and ultimate sign to overcome one's unbelief granting them repentance and faith and giving them a new clean heart averting God’s wrath and securing his promises.

• Once born again we must let the light of Christ shine brightly without compromise including syncretism to religious and cultural traditions.

• We are called to obey all that Jesus commands and teach others to obey what HE alone commands. We must become disciples of Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit who make disciples.

Questions

• Have you been born again, cleansed on the inside through Jesus’ shed blood for you?

• Have you become a disciple set on obeying Jesus?

• Do you need deliverance from 'habits' or mindsets that keep you from doing what Jesus wants you to do?

• Do you want to walk in signs and wonders that point your generation to the resurrected Christ?

Pray

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your one and only Son Jesus Christ to reveal yourself and your Kingdom!  Search me and know me that I may be cleansed by you.  Teach me to pray your will, do your will, and abide in Christ.  Use me in my generation to bring your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  In Jesus name, amen. 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 8

The Good News According To Luke: Part 8

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: Jesus calls us to share his good news as we do good deeds, fueled by the overflow from our relationship with him.  

• The Good Calling

• The Good Samaritan

• The Good Portion

The Good Calling

Jesus calls those who follow him to bring the good news of his Kingdom to those who surround them.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:1-16‬ ‭ESV

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me."”

The Good Samaritan

Jesus wants us to be on the lookout for ways to do good to others as we go about our business.   

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭10:17-24‬ ‭

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."”

“The heart overflows with gladness, and leaps and dances for the joy it has found in God. In this experience the Holy Spirit is active, and has taught us in the flash of a moment the deep secret of joy. You will have as much joy and laughter in life as you have faith in God.”

- Martin Luther

The Good Portion

Jesus fuels all of the good that we’ll ever do for the Kingdom by learning to sit at his feet.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:25-42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."”

The aim of our days is to live on the overflowing waters of the Spirit of God.  

‭‭John‬ ‭7:37-39‬

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

HARVEST READY: Don’t Sleep in the Harvest

HARVEST READY: Don’t Sleep in the Harvest 

By: Pastor Reggie Roberson

Introduction 

Let me speak to you prophetically what I’m sensing; I believe it will be encouraging.  We’re in a unique harvest season. 

‭Psalm‬ ‭107:36-38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And there he lets the hungry (urgency) dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.”

Some of the prayers you’ve been praying about family members, about what you want God to do in your life and in this city are going to get answered and fulfilled more in this time than normal.  Signs and wonders, the presence of God leading to Salvation, freedom, Spiritual Growth, restoration of purpose and healing self-worth and miracles provision.  Harvest of righteousness and Souls!!

I don’t want you to miss what the Lord is doing in this hour.  (Purpose and significance) 

I was sharing this word with prophet Jim Laffoon and he gave me this scripture. 

Proverbs‬ ‭10:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”

We see examples of this in history.  

In 1945 General Douglas MacArthur occupied Japan representing the ally forces in world war 2.  He considered himself the soldier of God.  He tried to convert the emperor of Japan to Christianity out of Shintoism. He at least got the emperor to admit he was not a god.  He also called for missionaries to come in help in the middle of this flood season to reap the harvest so that the nation would repent and turn from Shintoism and Buddhism to the Lord Jesus.  Unfortunately, not many went and today Japan is less than 1% Christian.  We slept at a critical time when there was people to harvest.  

What could cause us to sleep in the harvest? 

Two reasons 

“His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭56:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ (Watchmen -God’s prophetic people)

Slumber (lacks revelation but has plenty of rituals) Watchmen are asleep. 

• Pharisees -Becoming fixating on the miner things and neglecting the weightier things of the Bible -ideologies

• You filled yourself up with so many other things except for God where his love is compassion.

• Not seeing people’s greatest need is the spiritual need -they need the gospel.

Garden Gethsemane -one of the most important moments in history.  Jesus is getting ready to die on the cross to the penalty for our sins or doing wrong and rebelling against God so we could receive forgiveness of sin, all of his blessings, everlasting life and relationship with HIM.  He is going to make it possible to have a spiritual harvest of souls through salvation and this is what happens.  

45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” - Luke 22:45-46 ESV

Sorrow means grief, mental or emotional pain, sadness, heaviness, grudgingly, or regret.  Have you ever felt any of this?  

Sorrows can come for man reasons: 

• Personal Loss (one of the reasons for the church not stepping up at that time 1945).

• The news: pandemic covid and monkeypox, war, social unrest,

• missed opportunity

• Doors closed with your job

• Family situation with prodigal kids

• wounded Marriages

• betrayal

• misunderstanding

• Difficult to see God's purposes in your work

• health challenges

Regardless of what is the reason for the grief, regret, mental or emotional pain God is speaking to his church; Don’t sleep in the Harvest: we must be harvest ready. 

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1-5‬ ESV

God spoke this scripture to me about being harvest ready out of Isaiah 60.

1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Arise 

As the sun arises out of the night, out of darkness, and takes it’s place.  

The Israelites were to come out of the sleep of sorrow, out of the darkness, out of being scattered and exiled by the Assyrians and Babylonians and take their place as those who rebuild the temple and worship God.   The Lord is saying to us “arise” and take our place as sons and daughters out of whatever slumber and out of sorrow and darkness night we’ve experienced. We are to believe that God is at work fulfilling His precious and magnificent promises in our lives.  It doesn’t mean that we are not experiencing sorrow, but it does mean that sorrows are not consuming me.  Why? The light has come.  God’s glory is consuming us, filling us and satisfying us;  The son of God has come in Jesus Christ and made it possible for us to experience the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is our peace, the Holy Spirit is our joy, and the Holy Spirit is our wisdom, he is our comforter, friend, and power.  He is the one who makes us sons of daughters that cries out Abba father to God. We need to arise out of the slumber and sorrow and take our place by taking hold of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  We are to have assurance and confidence that we are God’s beloved people and display the character of Christ. Awake oh sleeper and let the light of Christ shine on your.  Nothing should prevent us from being who God called us to be.  

Shine 

Isaiah also prophecies to Israelites another imperative, he says Shine. This means nothing on earth should stop them or us from doing what God has called us to do.  

Pain and sorrow are real and we should not pretend like they don’t have it but express and process it with one another while rebuilding the temple to be a witness to the nations through good deeds.   

Listen, we don't deny the pain and sorrow because Isaiah does say that darkness covers the earth and deep darkness the people. So we don’t deny it but we do overcome it with the light of God’s word & presence and good deeds that advance God’s kingdom. Jesus said to us, let your light shine before men so that they see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father Matthew 5:14.  

So, 

Slumber and Sorrow in our world and our lives should not keep us from shining, but can actually make us shine more.  

• Paul sick but sharing the gospel

  • “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.” -‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:13-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

• Argentina Prisoners praying for the world.

• Felix lives in public housing but is giving and impacting his community.

When we arise and shine we will not sleep in the harvest but we receive a harvest.   

Here’s what Isaiah prophesy next, that I am prophesying to you.  

3 And nations shall come to your light, 

• The nations will come to your light. People from different backgrounds will be drawn by the presence of God in you and your good deeds.

and kings to the brightness of your rising. 

• He says Kings will come to the brightness of your arising. Leaders will come bringing their influence and resources.

4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 

• Young people your sons and daughters will put their faith in Yahweh, Yeshua Ben Yahweh JESUS CHIRST and will be saved and come worship with you Him.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, 

Joy unspeakable 

because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.”

• The wealth of the nations will come and the abundance of the sea gathered to you. Wealth and God’s glorious provision will come to you.

You will receive a Harvest!  How many of you want to receive the harvest? 

Let’s Pray!

Repent for slumber - create in me a new heart

Ask god for healing sorrow

prophetic act - arise out of your chairs

Shine give God praise 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 7

The Good News According to Luke: Part 7

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: Our worship should produce a change that leads us to the service of Jesus. 

• Worship Leading to Change

• Change Leading to Service

• Service Leading to Christ

Worship Leading to Change 

When we worship God, we change as a result.   

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:1-9‬ ‭

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.”

When we encounter Jesus, he changes the trajectory, goals and pursuits of our lives.  

Worshiping Jesus means that we are now about building God’s Kingdom and not just our own. 

“Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship. To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change.

…To worship is to change.”” 

-Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline p. 173

Change Leading to Service

The change that God brings about in our lives ultimately leads to following him in obedient service.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:10-27‬ ‭

“On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God." And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."”

Worship leads to ministry. 

Ministry is service.  

If there is no practical service in your walk with Jesus, there really is no worship.  

*When you look at how you spend your time, treasure and talents in life, who do you find that you are really serving?  

Jesus involved the disciples in the miracles that he would perform by utilizing what they had to minister to the masses.  

Jesus performed the miracle, but he had the disciples distribute the fish and loaves that he multiplied.  

“Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life. Worship enables us to hear the call to service clearly so that we respond, “Here I am! Send me!” Authentic worship will impel us to join the Lamb’s war against demonic powers everywhere-on the personal level, on the social level, on the institutional level. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is our Commander-in-Chief. We receive His orders for service and go “…conquering and to conquer…with the word of truth…returning love for hatred, wrestling with God against the enmity, with prayers and tears night and day, with fasting, mourning and lamentation, in patience, in faithfulness, in truth, in love unfeigned, in long suffering, and in all the fruits of the spirit, that if by any means [we] may overcome evil with good….”

-Foster again but the quote he used is by James Nayler

How are you involved in bringing the miracles of Jesus to others?

Service Leading to Christ

As we serve God, we begin to understand true discipleship and walk more closely with Christ.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:28-62‬ ‭

“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not." Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great." John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you." When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."”

Service is what God uses to crucify our flesh, shape our character and mold us into the image of Christ.  

“If all our serving is before others, we will be shallow people indeed.”

-Richard Foster

We have no interest in serving when we don’t value what God values - desperately craving the shallow, fleeting praise of men rather than the esteem and eternal reward of ALMIGHTY GOD.  

“Love to be concealed, and little esteemed: be content to want (lack) praise, never be troubled when thou art slighted or undervalued…. Hiddenness is a rebuke to the flesh and can deal a fatal blow.” 

-Jeremy Taylor

DO NOT TRY TO BE ANYONE ELSE - WE NEED YOU, NOT YOUR IDEA OF WHO YOU SHOULD BE. 

We are often misplaced when we try to be something that we are not - trying to be someone else rather than cultivating the indispensable gift that you are to the body of Christ and the world.  

In such a manner, the whole body suffers because the role that you are divinely crafted to play goes unfulfilled (I Corinthians 12).  

Faithful service is God’s mechanism to free us from our obsession with self to place our eyes on what is of eternal worth.  

Through participation in service, you are practically helping to advance the Kingdom of God as we collectively win the lost and rebuild lives as people learn to be disciples of Jesus. 

This is why rather than having those who purported to want to follow Christ chase their inheritances, Jesus had them proclaim the Kingdom of God.  

Where will you find your place of service in and through the church?

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 6

The Good News According to Luke: Part 6

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: As we serve the Lord, we will fulfill his vision as we commit to his mission together.  

• Common Lord

• Common Mission

• Common Grace

Common Lord

Through the gospel of the Kingdom, we are freed to serve our common Lord Jesus.  

Luke‬ ‭8:1-18‬ ‭

“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." 

As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' 

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 

15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."”

God’s design is that we serve the Lord Jesus together. 

No one farms a land alone.  

God frees us by showing us the ways that the cares, riches and pleasures of life come to choke the word and life of God out of us.

Others help us see what we do not so that we can cultivate a good heart that produces fruit.

Jesus then gives us his light of life and puts us on display so that we can show his goodness and grace to the world.  

Common Vision

We are brought together by Jesus to fulfill his Kingdom vision.  

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭8:19-25‬ ‭

“Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." 21 But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of the lake." So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"”

The vision is how we serve our Lord.   

God’s vision is to bring together a family of worshipers who put his word into practice together. 

Those who do so are who Jesus calls his mother and brothers - his family.

It is the family of God with whom we are to travel to fulfill the purpose of God and with whom we are to weather life’s challenges as we see Jesus calm our collective storms.

*Relearning how to relate and build relationships after Covid is important.

Embrace the awkward to get to a place of health.

3 Keys to good relationships:

1. Don’t over-inflate your personal story as compared to others making your experience or circumstances seem like more or less than it is (Galatians 6:2-5).

2. Don’t be myopic (Proverbs 25:27; 27:2)

3. Make the first move to be kind, show honor, and be a blessing (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV; Romans 12:10)

“The very condition of having Friends is that we should want something else besides Friends. Where the truthful answer to the question "Do you see the same truth?" would be "I see nothing and I don't care about the truth; I only want a Friend," no Friendship can arise - though Affection of course may. There would be nothing for the Friendship to be about; and Friendship must be about something, even if it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow-travellers.” - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Common Grace

We accomplish Christ’s Kingdom vision when we are on mission together.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:26-56‬ ‭

“Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 

38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 

45 And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!" But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.”

The mission is how we achieve the vision.  

Even as Jesus delivered the man of the legion of demons, he immediately sent him on mission to be a forerunner of the mission of God in the Decapolis.

Through commitment to the mission of Jesus, we can move past just being part of the crowd, to actually encountering the power of the Lord as did the woman with the discharge of blood.  

Then, like Peter, John and James we can see Jesus bring life to dead things where others are simply content to weep and mourn.  

God’s resurrection power was on display throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Jesus modeled this for the disciples so that following his sacrifice at the cross for our sins, we would be able to continue in the same mission today.

As an outplay of the Great Commission of Jesus and continuing the work initiated by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, our mission at Second City Church is:

“Winning the lost, making disciples, and training leaders that establish Christ honoring churches that multiply in the city of Chicago and the nations.”

*Success can be your reward (when you do things God’s way) or your master (when you try to take your life into your own hands). 

Let’s meet Christ at the cross in repentance and faith that we might experience true success in the sight of God, fulfilling both his vision and mission together, God’s way.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 5

The Good News According to Luke: Part 5

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: We must recognize the authority of Christ to properly understand how to receive and live in the love of Jesus.  

• The Authority of Christ

• Misunderstanding Christ

• Forgiven Much to Love Christ

The Authority of Christ

We can miss God’s healing when we do not embrace the authority of Jesus in our lives.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:1-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." 

And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." 

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.”

We all know that abuse of any type of authority is bad - whether it be from a beloved family member, government official, church leader or workplace superior.  

Yet the authority that Jesus wields is good, can always be trusted and leads to our eternal benefit, not harm.  

Though following God-centered leadership can lead to momentary pain (think the cross of Christ), it always leads to a lasting good for you and others (think eternal

life through the resurrection of Jesus). 

All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).

Because all things that have been made were made through him (John 1:3), he is the final arbiter of what is right or wrong in terms of how all aspects of life should be lived and best function.

Jesus having all authority means that there is nothing in the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual world that will not submit to him when he intervenes.

When Jesus expresses his authority, it is to put things in right order, for the Father’s glory and our good (I Corinthians 15).

We need to embrace the authority of Jesus to receive healing in our lives.  

Why does this matter in our daily interactions?

If you are ever to learn to lead well, you need to first learn what it means to be under authority - what it means to follow.  

The abuse of authority has jaded people to this idea throughout the generations.  

Yet as a result, there has been an unhealthy pendulum swing whereby people consider themselves accountable to no one.  

The result is countless stories of people who are isolated, damaged wanderers who do not build the Kingdom with their lives, but scatter amidst ongoing theatrical acts of disappointment.  

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:19‬ ‭

“Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:1‬-2

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”

God delegates his authority to others in our lives to be a part of the healing process, just like the centurion and those that he sent to plead with Jesus on behalf of his servant.  

The question then becomes:

*Whose spiritual authority have you acknowledged in your life to help mold you, shape you and heal you?

Misunderstanding Christ

We relate with God, his church and the world well when we properly understand Jesus. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:18-35‬ ‭

“The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) "To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children."”

What are you looking for when you come to Jesus?

The world can look at Jesus as the enemy even while he gives commands that are for nothing but our good. 

 Nonetheless, Christ has and continues to lovingly interrupt our lives to set us free from the power of our real adversary, the devil.

“Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.”

— Oswald Chambers

We also sacrifice truth for wanting to fit into a world sick with sin, not realizing that our acceptance enables others’ damnation.  

However, Jesus properly understood means salvation for the repentant, true acceptance and true healing for those humble enough to realize their limitations and embrace Christ's love.   

We know Jesus by his actions - what he does to redeem, heal and restore people’s lives as he turns them from sin, freeing them from guilt and shame at the cross.

Forgiven Much to Love Christ 

We love Jesus, his church and the world well when we realize how much we need to be forgiven.  

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭7:36-50‬ ‭

“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."”

To truly ever love Jesus well, we must embrace how much we need to be forgiven.  

Humility changes everything.  

Our perspectives towards Jesus, our problems and even the world’s issues morph when we see God as he is and recognize our own sin for what it is.  

To truly understand Jesus, we must come with a heart of humility.  

Humbling ourselves is an art that must be learned, a skill that God requires for proper relationship with him and the world around you.  

When we don’t have this heart posture, our relationships are strained at best, adversarial at worst.  

Humility chokes out accusation and bitterness.  

Through the cross, we learn how much Jesus deserves to be loved and how to love others with the same redemptive lense through which God first loved us.  

Let’s come to the cross for our great forgiveness and meet Jesus in his resurrection life today. 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 4

The Good News According to Luke: Part 4

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: Jesus redefines our pain to lead us to his purpose which is ultimately good.  

• Redefining Pain

• Redefining Purpose

• Redefining Good

Redefining Pain

Jesus redefines our pain through his person.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:1-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" And Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" And he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.” 

People have church hurts that need to be healed. 

Jesus redefined how people understood religion and rituals, including the Sabbath. 

Jesus continually brought revelation to people’s interaction with the traditions of the religious community, explaining the spirit behind the law of God.  

Many people have been hurt in the church because they were exposed to a religious culture, but failed to connect with the Lord who was to be worshipped within that culture.  

They were exposed to law, but not the heart behind that law.  

As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus showed that he came not to hamper but to help those who would turn to him.  

The purpose of honoring that which God’s word says to honor is that we might meet with Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, who came to heal.  

People have emotional hurts that they try to hide.  

As in the case of the man with the withered hand, Jesus brings what cripples us into the light with others not to embarrass or shame us, but to heal us. 

“The strangest thing happens when what we have most wanted to conceal is brought into the open. We don’t die. Instead, we often begin to heal.”

-John Ortberg

Eternity Is Now In Session: A Radical Rediscovery of What Jesus Really Taught About Salvation, Eternity, and Getting to the Good Place 

“It’s a strange truth that I admire vulnerability in other people, but I don’t want to have to be vulnerable myself.”

-John Ortberg

I’d Like You More If You Were More Like Me: Getting Real About Getting Close

Redefining Purpose

Jesus redefines our purpose through his direction. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:12-19‬

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”

When we commit to honoring that which God honors, he provides eternal purpose for our lives.  

Jesus brings definition to that purpose by involving us in what he is doing, making us a sent people to bring his Kingdom as we carry his presence.   

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:13-15‬ ‭

“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”

We must first be with Jesus before we can represent Jesus well. 

If you’ve made a decision to follow Jesus, it is because he has desired you, called you to himself and is appointing you to represent him in your family, community, workplace and/or school.  

When you go into the world with this understanding, you go in Christ’s authority, not your own.  

When we encounter Jesus and are touched by his power, we gain the ability to love, because we are cured of that which previously troubled us.  

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

-C.S. Lewis 

So how should we live and minister in this authority of Christ?

Redefining Good 

Jesus redefines what is good in this world for us through his perfect character that leads us to the cross.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:20-49‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."”

Grandpa’s trees in Florida were always one of my favorite parts of the trip, but I could only ever expect to take home oranges because that is what type of trees he had planted.  

There will never be different fruit until you have a different root - you must be born again by the imperishable seed of God’s Word and dig deep to be continually transformed by his Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:23). 

There is no sense in getting weary.  

Weeding a yard, house cleaning, training your children and tending to your own soul before God are constants that are a fact of life.  

If we do not tend to them, we should not be surprised at the mess that is a result. 

When we see Christ’s great commands, we realize how much we fall short of God’s perfection and are in need of a Savior.  

Christ's perfect character not only gives us a picture of what we ought to be, but leads us to the cross as the only source of true redemption when we fall short.

We must not be hypocrites, looking only at the faults of others, while having logs of sin in our own eyes.  

We must come to God in true repentance and faith in Jesus’ sacrificial work at the cross, so we can not only be forgiven of our sins, but by the power of his resurrection, be supernaturally transformed to bear new fruit.  

As we do so, we can thereafter build lives of love and grace on God’s word that glorify Jesus, lead to our healing and withstand any storm.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 3

The Good News According to Luke: Part 3

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: Jesus wants you to be a healed disciple who makes disciples. 

• Being a Disciple

• Healed by the Master

• To Make Disciples

Being a Disciple

God is not simply looking for believers, he is looking for disciples.  

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭5:1-11‬

“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

What does it mean to be a disciple?

A disciple is one who patterns their thoughts, speech and actions - their life pursuits - after their teacher.  

Jesus says that when you are following him, he is going to make you into something - a fisher of men.  

If you are truly walking with Jesus and daily obeying his voice, you will be actively involved in telling others about Christ and his Kingdom.   

This is what it means to be a fisher of men.  

Your faith in Christ’s substitutionary work at the cross and his subsequent resurrection from the dead is what saves you.

Your obedience to Christ, being actively involved in the mission of Jesus, is what God uses to save others.

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

What do you need to leave in order to follow Jesus?

• Is it the fear of man?

• Is it hedonism?

• Is it selfish living?

• From what does God need to heal you?

Healed by the Master

Jesus wants to heal you as his disciple.

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭5:12-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.””

In addition to physical restoration, in what ways  does Jesus look to heal you?

Jesus wants to cleanse you, meaning that Jesus wants to heal you of impure patterns, guilt and shame.

Jesus wants you to get unstuck, meaning Jesus wants to heal you of emotional and spiritual paralysis.

To Make Disciples

When we have received from the Lord as a disciple, Jesus expects us to turn around and give as a disciple.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:27-39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’””

When Levi was called by Jesus, he immediately turned around to reach others. 

But who did he turn to reach?

Of course, you would invite those who love Jesus and need a home to the party!

But Jesus said that he came not for the healthy, but the sick, to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  

This is where we begin as we think about who Jesus came to call as disciples.  

It is not those who have it all together, but those who are presently opposed to God and bound by sin that are Jesus’ primary candidates for recruitment.  

Why?

Because as Jesus would later say, “those who are forgiven much, love much.”

That means your family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who do not yet believe in or follow Jesus are the very ones that he came to call as disciples!  

If you’ve ever felt like this spiritually 😉

You can begin with one and the One to One

And become this:

When we have met Jesus in a real and powerful way, the best thing to do is gather our friends, family and acquaintances together to meet the King as well.

Don’t disqualify yourself as a disciple-maker.  

We can always say I am too young or too old, am too busy, am not a professional or don’t know enough.  

***However, what we saw Levi do is IMMEDIATELY JUMP IN THE GAME BY INVITING PEOPLE TO AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THOSE HE KNEW COULD MEET JESUS.***

You can do that through church, community group or even community day - wherever Jesus is being honored and the Word of God is being taught. 

Jesus was willing to use those who simply made themselves available to influence others for the Kingdom of God.  

“I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you’ve been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else.  If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”

-Toni Morrison 

Levi didn’t cut off his natural relationships, but started with that pool of people knowing that they could be forever changed by Jesus, just as he was.  

Let’s meet Christ freshly at the cross today, and bring others to experience the same freedom that we have so graciously received!

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According to Luke: Part 2

The Good News According to Luke: Part 2

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: Jesus came to give us victory over Satan, heal our brokenness and preach good news to all.

• Winning Victories over Satan

• Healing the Sick

• Preaching Good News to All

Victory Over Satan

Jesus came to establish his victory over sin and Satan.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:1-15‬

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”

How is God incorporated into every aspect of our lives?  

It’s by understanding that God has a plan for this world, your place in it and that there will be a fight to walk in that plan.  

Just as there is a real God, there is a real devil and demons which want to lead you into sin.   

Satan is God’s adversary who looks to detract from the glory of God, God’s creative order and loving blueprint for all creation.   

Sin is not only lawlessness, but it is missing God’s mark in any area of our lives. 

The truth is, how you live matters.  

What you do for work matters.

What you choose to do with your time, talent and resources all have eternal consequences. 

Your family dynamics, relationships in the church and the community in which you live matters.  

Jesus came to teach us how to live in God’s good, pleasing and perfect plan.  

Satan tries to divert us from God’s word and that plan, as we see exemplified in the temptation of Jesus.  

There are times, though, that the Father will allow intensified moments of confrontation with demonic forces in your life so that you might actually grow in strength - learning to overcome temptation, be done with sin and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.  

God does not lead you into battle to lose, but to learn how to fight and win (Psalm 144:1).

As the warfare increases, we see from Jesus’ example that fasting and prayer are to  become a weapon of choice.  

In this way, Christ is allowed to become greater in our lives as we become less (John 3:30; Galatians 2:20).

*Jesus was entering a new season of his life and he did so with prayer and fasting. 

As we follow Jesus by faith and in obedience, his victory over sin and Satan becomes our victory as well.  

We begin to live in victorious faith and freedom as we look to fulfill our Heavenly Father’s directives in our lives. 

Christ’s Kingdom focus becomes our daily focus.  

***As you mature in Christ, the battle is not over whether you will commit petty sin for which you have been forgiven, but whether or not you will fulfill the will of God for your life.***

This is what the temptation of Jesus clearly exemplified and is the battle which Christ continually fought and won (Hebrews 10:5-7). 

In the desert temptation, it wasn’t merely a matter of whether or not Jesus was going to commit adultery, but whether he would fulfill his calling.  

I John 2:14

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Jesus' response to the devil in the wilderness marks the reality that the Word of God MUST be central to (the foundation of) our responses to the attacks and temptations of Satan.  

The word of God is the only ground upon which we are to stand because in such a sense we are allowing God to respond for us (with his authority and backing as Creator and ruler). 

What do each of the temptations show us?

Jesus’ special relationship with the Father was challenged.

Jesus responded with the firmness and security of God’s written word to maintain his: 

1. clarity of identity, 

2. precision of conviction and 

3. steadfastness of vision to accomplish the Father’s will.

We must learn to do the same in a world that daily challenges the:

1. definitions,

2. statutes and

3. purposes of God around us.

Jesus’ encounter with Satan answers the question for us  - “should I ever have to suffer and forgo my God-given needs if I am a child of God?”

The answer is yes as God teaches you how to sacrifice as he builds you for his eternal glory and greater Kingdom good.  

When God is calling you to sacrifice, don’t try to meet your needs your own way and in your own timing by trying to turn your rocks into bread (in regards to marriage, career advancement, etc.).  

Trust God that he makes everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3) and has your best interests in mind as you follow him.   

Times of fasting and prayer help make this clear, and should be the “go to” before any big life transition or decision.  

*Again, fasting and prayer preceded Jesus entering into a new season of his life and ministry (Acts 13). 

Most people make big decisions or changes in their lives without consulting the counsel of God, his word or his people (Proverbs 3:3-12).  

They simply announce the changes to everyone once a decision has already been made without consideration for how their decisions impact others and are a part of God’s grand design, in need of God’s help.  

This should not be because God does not build that way. 

Whether in your family life, education, career or moments of relational transition, each point of entry into a new season of life should be preempted by the trifecta of: 

1. God’s Word (reinforces God’s ways),

2. fasting with prayer (introduces God’s specific direction through practical application of that Word) and

3. godly counsel (helps bring confirmation to those eternal purposes).

DON’T TRY TO BE A SOLO ACT!

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12:15‬ ‭

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:22‬ ‭

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:18‬

“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:5-6‬ ‭

“A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”

It is especially important that we make this a lifestyle.

Why?

Just as the devil left Jesus until an opportune time, so he returns to us after moments of victory to try to steer our walk with God off course.  

Times of fasting empty us of our self-reliance to increase our awareness of God that we might live with a dependence on his Holy Spirit, counsel and power.  

This is how Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God's Kingdom plan.

What did Jesus come to do and why does it matter to us?

God has so much to do in the world around us and wants to use us, his body, to do it! 

Healing the Sick

Jesus came to heal the sick, liberate the bound, repair the damaged and mend the broken.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:16-41‬ ‭

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, '"Physician, heal yourself." What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'" And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!" And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

In reading that passage in the synagogue, Jesus was reaffirming both his identity and calling.  

And thank the Lord, because Jesus came as God our healer, our Savior!!

Pain is what we’re all trying to escape. 

Jesus came to provide a many times present, but always eternal, healing to our pain.  

The rhythm of Jesus’ life included the custom of physically going to the local synagogue whose entrance was built to face Jerusalem as a continual reminder of the centrality of both public and private worship in our lives.  

If it was important and a custom for Jesus, it needs to be for each one of us.  

What was the importance of being in the synagogue?:

God can use your church participation to help draw attention to and surface demonic oppression that has remained dormant or hidden as you have encounters with Jesus and his people, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

“I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you’ve been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else.  If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”

-Toni Morrison

Preaching the Good News

Jesus came to preach his good news of the Kingdom to all. 

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭4:42-44‬ ‭

“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

Jesus’ ultimate victory over Satan, sin and death would be accomplished at the cross where he would not only take the punishment for our sin, but provide forgiveness for those sins.   

By Christ’s historic resurrection from the dead, he would usher us into the freedom of an eternal  life where we would be forever healed in the presence of God (Revelation 21). 

He preached the good news of the Kingdom so that all would have access to this new life as they turn away from their sins and put their trust in Jesus’ substitutionary, completed work.  

Let’s begin this next season prayerfully considering who we might invite to Christ and his cross that he might bring victory and healing to those that we know and love.  

Make invitations before and for Back to Church Sunday, and be encouraged by the testimony of God using our team’s work even in Madison.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

The Good News According To Luke: Part 1

The Good News According To Luke

Part 1

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: We have to drop the facades and embrace ongoing repentance to grow into the people Jesus intends for us to be.  

• John Prepares the Way

• What Should We Do?

• Jesus for the Masses

John Prepares the Way

God calls us to himself as others give testimony of what Jesus is trying to do In our lives (Romans 10:14,15). 

Luke 3:1-9

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ’” He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The first thing of note that we need to appreciate and celebrate is that in the account that Luke gives of Jesus’ life and ministry, Luke is meticulous with recorded details to ensure historical accuracy that can be verified extra-biblically.  

Luke makes it a point to identify five different Roman rulers and the territories they governed to demonstrate that his account would not fit into the genre of myth, nor historic fiction, but must be considered verifiable fact - a researched testimony that could be corroborated.  

God had John call people to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of their sins - the starting block for beginning a life fueled by the grace, involvement and intervention of Jesus Christ.  

“If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s grace frees us from our wretched lives when we, by faith, drop the facades and live a life of ongoing repentance. 

No one can claim that they are right with God simply because they had a cultural background in the church or a natural pedigree of those who’ve belonged to God.  

The deception of such living will have people cut down and thrown into the fires of hell. 

If we’ve truly repented of something, we will bear fruit in that area by the power of the Holy Spirit - meaning we will grow. 

*One of the things that prevents us from bearing the fruit that God desires in our lives is the facades which we live behind.  

*Our generation has an obsession with image that prevents us from being humble and honest enough to allow God to do what he wants to in our lives.  

In fulfillment of all that the Lord had the prophet Isaiah predict (Isaiah 40:3-5), God sent John into the wilderness (the dry place) saying that he would: 

make his (Christ’s) paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Amongst other things, here is what God was promising and what it means for us today:

1. “Every valley shall be filled” - meaning through the help of others (like John the Baptist), God wants to expedite the work of the Lord in your life.

2. “…every mountain and hill shall be made low” - meaning the places of pride in our lives will be dealt with, humbled and brought down, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

3. “…the crooked shall become straight” - meaning that which is off-center in regards to God’s design for your life shall be corrected and reoriented.

4. “…the rough places shall become level ways” - meaning the dysfunctional areas of your life that were hard to touch and travel upon will become healthy, productive and functional.

5. “….all flesh will see the salvation of God” - meaning that in Jesus, God offers his rescue, healing and deliverance to all people.

God sends people to prepare the work of the Lord in your life.  

“Low self-esteem causes me to believe that I have so little worth that my response does not matter. With repentance, however, I understand that being worth so much to God is why my response is so important. Repentance is remedial work to mend our minds and hearts, which get bent by sin.”

John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You

We all need help to grow - in things like our marriages, in our parenting, in how we build lives and careers to honor the Lord.  

*THE TRUTH IS THAT IT IS NOT SHAMEFUL TO NEED HELP - IT IS SHAMEFUL NOT TO ASK GOD AND HIS PEOPLE FOR THAT HELP. 

Matthew 3:5,6

Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Confession involves coming into agreement with God and his higher way (Isaiah 55). 

We often don’t have a posture of confession, so God in his mercy sends people into our lives to track us down. 

It may be your spouse, your friend, your community group leader or parent that God is using to point out sin - to help you take responsibility for shortcomings and grow.  

But we can not stay there. 

We must be like the Psalmist who asked God to search him and try him to see if there was any offensive way in them so that they might be led in God’s everlasting way.  

Psalm 139:23,24

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting!

*WE HAVE TO DROP THE FACADES TO EMBRACE AN EMPOWERING LIFESTYLE OF CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE.  

How are you hiding behind an image that you’ve created for yourself?

How does God really see you?

*Do you have ears to hear how God is making his appeal to you through others (your family, friends, spouses, neighbors, co-workers, etc.)?

What Should We Do?

We walk with God through an ongoing lifestyle of repentance and faith.  

Luke 3:10-17

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

*Just as we ask God about the ways that we need to grow, so it is invaluable to ask those God has sent to help shape your life how you need to grow in Christ as well.  

You need to give the people who love and surround you permission to speak the Word of God to you and offer you areas of improvement based on that Word. 

This is what John did for the Israelites when they asked, “What then shall we do?”

*This question follows the conviction of the Holy Spirit and proceeds all positive, godly change in our lives (Acts 2).  

The baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers us to live godly lives, burns up our chaff and gives us gifts of the Spirit that we might be witnesses for Christ in power (I Corinthians 12).

Our desire should be to have the directives of God established to move in power in every area of our lives. 

This is the essence of Jesus being Lord of our lives.  

God commands nothing except that which is loving and good - that which is best for you, your family and the world around you (Genesis 1).

Deuteronomy 10:12,13

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Sin is not only lawlessness, breaking the commands of God; but is also missing the mark of God’s best for your life.  

To come into God’s best for your life requires a lifestyle of ongoing repentance.  

Repentance means a change of mind and a corresponding movement in a different direction.  

It means falling out of agreement with your former self-identification or lifestyle and coming into agreement with God’s ways which are higher and better for you (Isaiah 55). 

Repentance begins with confession of sin.   

Jonah 2:8

Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

Confession brings freedom because it ushers you into the light to get the help that you need from God and others.  

So the question then becomes:

• How are you growing in the Lord?

• When was the last time you allowed the Lord to identify the things from which you need to repent?

• When is the last time you asked a God-given relationship, ““What then shall I do?”

How are you now living differently based on what God pointed out to you, by himself or through others?

C.S. Lewis accurately described what it is like when we merely give lip service to God - having sin pointed out, but not acting.  

“As long as [man] does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance... Wallow in it... Write a book about it; that is often an excellent way of sterilising the seeds which [Heavenly Father] plants in a human soul... Do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm [the cause of evil] if [it is kept] out of his will... The more often he feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.”

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Jesus for the Masses

God brings us into his family to see Christ and his Kingdom purposes formed in us.  

Luke 3:21-38

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Whereas Matthew’s genealogy, written to a Jewish audience, helped establish the prophesied Abrahamic, Judean and Davidic lineage of the Messiah, Luke’s genealogy for a gentile audience went all the way back to God to show Christ’s unique salvific identity for all of humanity. 

Note that God’s eternal purposes in Christ came about through a family line of faith, not through individuals acting alone.  

Through repentance and faith in Jesus’ sacrificial work for us at the cross, we are forgiven of our sins and adopted into the family of God (John 1).  

We then proactively interact with that family to grow in the knowledge of God and become like Christ, bearing fruit as we together commit to lifestyles of transparency, humility and ongoing repentance.  

*This is the reason God calls us to be devoted to church gatherings for worship and environments of discipleship like our community groups that we might in unison fulfill God’s Kingdom purposes. 

“The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed.”

Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

We would say that the church is not only a theological classroom, but God’s “plan A” for us meeting Christ to grow into all that he’s called us to be and do as a part of his eternal Kingdom.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

A Word Of Encouragement – Part 5

Word of Encouragement: Part 5

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: You can be happy, while you are holy, as you remain rooted in Christ. 

• You can be Happy

• While you are Holy

• As you are Rooted in Christ

You can be Happy 

Know that you can be happy as you do things God’s way because God delights in blessing his people.   

Psalm 1:1-6

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

You can be happy in life.  

Among other things, blessed means happy. 

To walk in a happy state means that you have to embrace the world as it is and navigate it as God commands.  

What is the present state of the world at large?

1 John 5:19

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Because we live in a fallen world, with the majority of people living in rebellion to God, to not walk in the counsel of the wicked means you will have to proactively seek righteous counsel.  

Be careful of the trajectory of your life - whether in righteousness or wickedness.  

In all things, you first walk, then stand and then sit in convictions that you’ve developed - whether actively or passively (Romans 12:1-2).

This is why the apostle Paul exhorted the nascent church:

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

To “be conformed” in this Scripture is a passive (tense +) activity - meaning if you are not resisting conformity, you will be subdued.  

*You begin to walk in the counsel of sinners when you lack discerning thought, filtered through the Word of God, to actively distinguish between right and wrong.  

*You are conformed to the pattern of this world by imbibing the ideologies that surround you without proactively filtering and rejecting what is incongruent with the Law of God. 

You begin to stand when you make it a habit to practice what they are doing.

“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”  

― John Wesley

You begin to sit in the seat of a scoffer - judging, mocking and deriding the things of God - when you’ve stopped fighting the evil one and take the easier road of conformity.  

“The story of Daniel and his friends is a clarion call to our generation to be courageous; not to lose our nerve and allow the expression of our faith to be diluted and squeezed out of the public space and thus rendered spineless and ineffective. Their story will also tell us that this objective is not likely to be achieved without cost.”

John C. Lennox, Against the Flow: The inspiration of Daniel in an age of relativism

We treat God as if he is infringing upon our rights when he gives us commands that cut against our wills.  

However, we must remember that as Creator, this is God’s world and we are his tenants.  

God sets the rules and orders creation with inputs and consequences according to his grand design for good (Genesis 1). 

When things work according to that design, they are blessed and human flourishing is a result as we inhabit his world.  

“Men became scientific because they expected law in nature and they expected law in nature because they believed in a lawgiver.’ It was this conviction that led Francis Bacon (1561–1626), regarded by many as the father of modern science, to teach that God has provided us with two books – the book of Nature and the Bible –“

John C. Lennox, God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?

When we disobey God’s commands, things deteriorate, break down and ultimately die - whether it is your body, relationships or mental well-being.

Death is always the consequence of sin (Romans 3:23). 

Happiness can not dwell there.

Yet happiness abides in holiness (Hebrews 1:8,9).

While you are Holy 

Holiness is a prerequisite to true happiness because you enter into the backing of God.   

We’ve got to define what a good and holy life looks like.

“The word "good" has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man.”

G. K. Chesterton

Jesus came to restore and give life. 

Was Jesus concerned with righteousness (adherence to the Law of God) - or simply love and grace?

Matthew 5:17-20

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was concerned with both.  

In fact, it was Christ’s perfect fulfillment of the law that enabled him to be an unblemished sacrifice for humanity at the cross, to bear the punishment for our sins and provide forgiveness for the repentant. 

We are now called and required to follow his example.  

We become holy and enter into Christ’s life by delighting in the law of the Lord - meditating on it day and night. 

By doing so, we begin to walk by the Holy Spirit.  

Galatians 5:16-26

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Pursuing the leading and submitting daily to the direction of the Holy Spirit allows us to lead a holy life.  

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

G. K. Chesterton

It is the anchor of the word of God and direction of the Holy Spirit that plants our roots by streams of living water.  

In this way, we are forever connected to God, his desires and his Kingdom purposes to be a disciple and make disciples of the nations. 

It is in this context that we yield fruit in season, and our leaves do not wither.

Because God is at the helm, we hold to the promise that we will prosper in all that we do. 

But to be holy, we must not be a mixed bag.

The question is:

What are you feeding yourself? 

The music, types of news mediums, entertainment, inner musings and conversations in which we indulge all matter.  

They are shaping agents to our thoughts, attitudes, actions and ultimately, life. 

We need to wake up to that which is shaping us - that which is either enhancing or stealing our joy in the Lord.  

Romans 13:11-14

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

We must learn to clothe ourselves with Christ.  

As You are Rooted in Christ 

To remain rooted in Christ is to remain focused on the hope of eternal life and the happiness that springs from it.  

John 14:1-7

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

This was matrimonial language.  

Though the wicked will not stand in the judgement, God’s promise is that the faithful will enter into their master’s eternal happiness (Matthew 25:14-30). 

“this world is not going to be trampled and smashed by brutal, amoral regimes forever.  A day will come when God will bring to an end the state war-machines, the terrorist bombs, the consummate evil of totalitarian oppression, the gas chambers, death camps, killing fields, and countless other infamous instruments of death. There will be a judgment.”

John C. Lennox, Against the Flow: The inspiration of Daniel in an age of relativism

Through turning away from our rebellion and putting our trust in the finished work of Christ for us at the cross, not only do we have access to the forgiveness of our sins, but the blessings of God’s eternal bliss.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

A Word Of Encouragement – Psalm 37

A Word of Encouragement: Psalm 37

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: We can have daily joy as we learn to delight in Jesus in the midst of a fallen world.  

• Delighting in the Lord

• In the Midst of Suffering

• Until Jesus Restores All Things

Delighting in the Lord

The key to joy in a fallen world is delighting yourself in Jesus.  

Psalm 37:1-11

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

*Fretting steals your joy. 

Do not get yourself in a huff because of what evildoers do or be envious of them.  

Evildoers will not ultimately get away with anything. 

God will make sure they get what they deserve in the end.  

It’s our timetables of justice that cause us to become disillusioned.  

Yet think of how many of us wouldn’t be here today if God didn’t express patience towards us in the midst of our sin to lead us to repentance and forgiveness at the cross (Romans 5).

God commands that we trust him, do good and focus on our responsibility to faithfully serve him while we wait.  

God is ultimately saying, “Let me do me, while you focus on doing what I said to do.”

What does it mean to delight in the Lord?

*The key to walking in joy in a fallen world is to delight yourself in the Lord - joy is not getting all that your heart desires.  

We often put the cart before the horse. 

There will always be a tension between the good that we aspire to do in this life and the resolution that God brings to all things in the age to come. 

You earthly reward is not your only reward.  

Far too many people settle for what they can have now - in honor, in comforts, in wealth - not realizing that they are substituting these things for what could be theirs eternally in Christ.

Jesus’ sermon on the Mount speaks of these things (Matthew 5-7). 

We lose focus on could be ours forever in Christ because we are distracted by what others presently enjoy. 

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

You must continually live in the hope of final justice at the judgment that allows you to persevere in well doing in the light of the rewards of the resurrection.  

When we fret, it tends to lead to evil because we take our lives into our own hands, fending for ourselves, doing what we think needs to be done for our benefit because somehow we think that God won’t come through.  

This is a tormenting place to live, where your mentality is you are on your own, outside of the reality of God caring for his faithful ones.  

In the Midst of Suffering

Joy can be found in the midst of suffering. 

*God’s care does not preclude suffering, because we live in a fallen world full of sin.  

Psalm 37:12-33

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

*As long as we live in a fallen world, there will be sin and suffering.   

*Jesus came to alleviate these things presently and eradicate them permanently at the resurrection for those who’ve turned to him in repentance and faith.  

How do we know this?

This is how Jesus began his ministry:

Luke 4:16-21

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

This is how the apostle John summarized Jesus’ ministry:

1 John 3:8

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

The is is how God had John summarize what is to come:

Revelation 21:1-8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

V. 23,24

*Temporary set-backs are not uncommon or your final destination in the Lord. 

God has a long-term view of your life and destiny in Christ - “I was young, and now I am old”.

Trust in God and let contentment free you to do good.  

What does doing good look like?

“If you asked twenty good men to-day what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you asked almost any of the great Christians of old he would have replied, Love - You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. 

The negative ideal of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point.”

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

“He is ever lending generously”

“Better the little the righteous have…”

Without contentment, we withhold from God what he commands and begin to find pursuits void of Christ or the leading of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our desires.  

This leads to frustration, lack of lasting satisfaction, ungodly practices and strife.  

Contentment is the key to generosity and great joy in our souls.  

Without contentment, we are stingy, hoarding and miserable because we always fear our own poverty while God says that even in famine, he will give you more than enough if you obey him. 

“At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Until Jesus Restores All Things

Christ’s work at the cross paved the way for eternal joy In a new world, where he would bring the restoration of all redeemed things at the resurrection.  

Psalm 37:34-40

Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

**God is concerned with ultimate outcomes, not simply the benefits of this present world.  

John 18:36-37

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Therein is where we find our present and lasting joy.  

How do we enter this new world?

We do so through ongoing repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work at the cross followed by his victorious resurrection. 

“If you had a perfect excuse, you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your action needs forgiveness, then there was no excuse for it. But the trouble is that what we call “asking God’s forgiveness” very often really consists in asking God to accept our excuses.

What leads us into this mistake is the fact that there usually is some amount of excuse, some “extenuating circumstances.” We are so very anxious to point these out to God (and to ourselves) that we are apt to forget the really important thing; that is, the bit left over, the bit which the excuses don’t cover, the bit which is inexcusable but not, thank God, unforgivable. And if we forget this, we shall go away imagining that we have repented and been forgiven when all that has really happened is that we have satisfied ourselves with our own excuses. They may be very bad excuses; we are all too easily satisfied about ourselves.

There are two remedies for this danger. One is to remember that God knows all the real excuses very much better than we do. If there are real “extenuating circumstances,” there is no fear that he will overlook them. Often he must know many excuses that we have never thought of, and therefore, humble souls will, after death, have the delightful surprise of discovering that on certain occasions they sinned much less than they had thought. All the real excusing he will do.

What we have got to take to him is the inexcusable bit, the sin.”

– C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, 178-81

1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

A Word Of Encouragement – Psalm 62

A Word of Encouragement: Psalm 62

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

War. Inflation. Political Turmoil.  Persecution.  Anxiety. Greed.  Fear. 

How would God have us respond in such an environment?   

Focus: God has your peace in mind in the midst of a chaotic world as we become people of prayer. 

• The Present

• The Future

• Waiting on Jesus 

The Present

We find our present peace by waiting on Jesus.  

Psalm 62:1-4

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah

Peace, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is what we need in troubling times. 

We find it by waiting on God. 

David begins his Psalm by declaring that when we look to God, we will not be greatly shaken, while intimating that in the beginning most trials are somewhat unexpected and startle us.  

In our busy worlds, you will not find true peace until you slow down enough to get quiet.  

“The most difficult problem is not finding time but convincing myself that this is important enough to set aside the time.”

― Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

Waiting on God means that sometimes you have nothing to say, but rather know that you need to hear from God - from his Word and from the Holy Spirit, our comforter.  

This should be our prioritized posture.  

God is called David’s fortress in the middle of the verbal attacks of his enemies.  

Both Christians and non-Christians alike are in the midst of a spiritual war, whether they realize it or not.  

Jesus came to give life, while there is a real devil who works with demons to steal, kill and destroy people’s lives (John 10:10).  

This is the canvas on which the gospel is played out and why Christ’s redemption is an imperative for this fallen world.  

In the spiritual warfare in which we find ourselves on a daily basis, going up to the place of worship must be our response against the lies, accusations and discouragements of the enemy.   

There we find God as our fortress.  

In OT times, worship was centered in Jerusalem, a city set on a hill.  

This meant that it was highly defensible and gave greater visibility to the attacks of the enemy.  

In this state, we are reminded daily that God is our fortress and can vanquish all of our enemies.  

“You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war.”

-John Piper

“Life is war. That's not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief.”

-John Piper

*The problem is that we run to substitutes, rather than God, in the midst of life’s chaos to find our peace.  

What are the things in our lives that we substitute as a fortress instead of God? 

It can be entertainment, alcohol, drugs, your wealth, your career, your looks, a new environment, a romantic relationship or hopes for your children - anything that you think will protect you from the harsh realities of this life.  

When we pursue these things without a Christ-centered devotion that defines our interactions, they ultimately enslave us and steal our peace.  

When we stop to wait on God, all things are put in their proper perspective - our past failures, our present struggles and our future hopes, all in light of the cross and resurrection of Christ.  

The Future

We have future security because God rules over that which is out of our control. 

Psalm 62:5-8

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

For God alone we must learn to wait in silence, for from him comes our hope for the future.  

Though people may encourage you, you must learn to look to God alone as your rock.

This will bless your marriages, your relationships with your children and friends because you will not put an inordinate pressure on them that truly only belongs to God.  

God alone is your true source of salvation, rescue and deliverance.  

God alone can help you in ALL THINGS, and is to whom we must cry out in prayer. 

When we put our hope in earthly resources, we are shaken; when Christ and his Word are our rock, we will not be. 

Isaiah 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

When we do this, it allows us to live as Jesus identified us - the salt of the earth, the light of the world.   

God is a refuge for us, which means that we run to him for safety in the midst of an uncertain future.  

God wants you to pour out your heart to him, that he might strengthen it.  

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the men at the conference spoke about his father who wrote a song after surviving a several mile long tornado….

“Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety. This is the inward reality of simplicity. However, if what we have we believe we have gotten, and if what we have we believe we must hold onto, and if what we have is not available to others, then we will live in anxiety. Such persons will never know simplicity regardless of the outward contortions they may put themselves through in order to live “the simple life.” 

― Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

Waiting on Jesus

Look to Jesus who will ultimately redeem and restore all things at the resurrection for those who are waiting for him.  

Psalm 62:9-12

Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

To be kept in perfect peace, we must align ourselves with Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).  

This means that we must value what God values and see the world as he sees it, for he designed it as such.  

We will be kept in perfect peace when we have a realistic, eternal perspective towards that for which people strive.  

“Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. 'We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like'. Where planned obsolescence leaves off, psychological obsolescence takes over. We are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media have convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality. It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick. Until we see how unbalanced our culture has become at this point, we will not be able to deal with the mammon spirit within ourselves nor will we desire Christian simplicity.” 

― Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

What ultimately steals our peace, inwardly and with God, is the misalignment of life’s priorities, otherwise known as sin. 

As we meditate on God’s Word, prayer enables us to realign our thinking to have the mind of Christ.  

If we’ve lived according to the ways of this fallen world, this Psalm is a call to come to repentance, entering into the peace of Christ through the forgiveness of your sins.  

“The demand that God should forgive such a man [one bent on evil] while he remains what he is, is based on a confusion between condoning and forgiving. To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete: and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.”

-C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Acknowledgement of sin and renunciation of sin are the prerequisites for forgiveness from God, lest there be no repentance - the required turning away from sin. 

The power of the Lord breaks us free from that sin, the lesser things that never satisfy.  

The steadfast love of the Lord keeps us in his peace and turns our hearts to live for him in thankfulness for his great sacrifice for us at the cross. 

Your greatest joy will be found when you are on mission with Christ, forged in the fire of life’s circumstances to bring his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  

Our rest is found in relationship with Christ and our great satisfaction is found in participating in that which Jesus is doing - going into all the world to make disciples of the nations who will also know his peace.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We are called to forever grow in peace as we orient our lives around the reward of Christ - that which can not be stolen, taken, or shaken because God himself preserves our eternal reward.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

A Word Of Encouragement – Psalm 46

Word of Encouragement — Psalm 46

Anthony Connington Intern

Focus: We can have a holy confidence when we trust God and run to Him for safety, strength, and protection.

• God is our Helper (ezer)

• God is our Sustainer

• God is our Protector (Adonai Tzevaot)

History of Psalm 46

The great reformer Martin Luther wrote his popular hymn ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God") using Psalm 46 as a starting point. For many this hymn was known as the song of the reformation. 

Later, Johann Sebastian Bach composed a chorale cantata based off of Luther’s hymn.

Mozart also composed a short motet to the text of the first verse of Psalm 46. 

Charles Spurgeon famously called Psalm 46 a "song of holy confidence".

Who were the Sons of Korah?

Moses had a cousin named Korah. This is the man who led a rebellion and revolt against Moses in numbers 16. This didn’t turn out too good for him and his friends. 

“The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.” Numbers 16:32-33

However, Korah’s sons were spared, and they went about serving the LORD as song writers, singers, and filled the many roles required to care for the tabernacle and the temple. 

According to the genealogy records in the bible it is important to point out that the prophet Samuel descended from Korah and his sons. 

This family is infamously known for that single act of rebellion against God which stained their name. But at the same time, the sons of Korah are quite the redemption story in that God showed mercy and allowed Korah’s family line to continue to serve Him. 

So, as we venture into this psalm, just know that the very writers of this amazing song have experienced what they are writing about firsthand. 

Psalm 46

God Our Refuge

For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
3 though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice.
7 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
11 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

God is our Helper ( עֵ֫זֶר / ezer) vs. 1-3

It is God alone who is our place of safety, and it is Him alone who gives us strength to endure our trials and tribulations. 

The Hebrew word for Helper here is (ezer). This is not the simple type of help, like giving someone a hand after they fall and picking them up again. This type of Helper can do far more than that. It is during the direst of situations where a miracle needs to happen, where no other hope can be found, where there are no more options left on the table. This type of help describes God who has the power to come through at the last moment. 

Scripture attributes this name to God and in most cases this word is referring to the type of help that is beyond human intervention, it is a type of help that only God can provide.

It is also important to note that in this verse, the Hebrew gives it an emphatic sense. In other words, God is not just a Helper found in times of trouble, but He can ALWAYS be found in times of trouble. 

God is trustworthy and reliable, and we can be confident that when we call out in distress, we will always find Him. 

This means that God promises to be present when you call out to Him. He promises to be the source of Help that you will need in that moment or season. God is creative and his solutions are often beyond what we expect. His ways are higher than our ways and his understanding is beyond our understanding. God promises to always be our help, but how He shows up is entirely up to God. 

One of the greatest prayers you can pray is “LORD please Help me”. God takes great delight when we call out to Him for Help. He is ready, able, and willing to respond to you every time. 

Therefore, we have nothing to fear. No matter what type of trouble comes against us, we can still have confident trust in God to come through for us. 

No matter the trouble you may be facing today, just know that God is the Help that you need. You can trust Him with everything, and He will give you peace to endure any and all trials you may face.

Even if you feel like right now that your life is toppling over and it feels like the ground under you has begun to sink, and you feel hopeless and desperate. Let me tell you something, that situation is God’s specialty. Run to Him with it, what every trouble you are facing, just surrender it over to God. 

Whenever we give control over our situations to God, we will experience confidence and peace even if the mountains quake and fall into the seas around us.

God is our Sustainer vs. 4-7

We need to understand that for the Israelites, Jerusalem was the most important place in the world. This is where the temple was at that time which is the place where God’s presence dwelled. When Scripture talks about Jerusalem, it is synonymous with the idea of God’s presence. This city is the central place of worship and religious practice for the Jewish people. This is the city where the Israelites went to worship and spend time with God. 

Notice that the streams gladden or delight the city of God. Unlike the torrent of raging waters which we find in verse 3, this river is gentle and soft. This river is peaceful and flows from the holy dwelling place of the Most High. This river gives life. 

For Further Study: read Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 about the river

The Pool of Siloam

Water flows through the site where archaeologists believe they have uncovered the remains of the Siloam Pool in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Thursday. The pool was used by Jews for ritual immersions from about 50 B.C. to A.D. 70, when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple. Kevin Frayer / AP 2004

Isa. 8:6-7—the waters of Siloam went softly by Jerusalem

Isa. 22:10-11—waters made serviceable to the defense of Jerusalem

During King Hezekiah’s reign, Assyria besieged Jerusalem and attempted to capture the city. In preparation for the long siege ahead, King Hezekiah wisely built up and made the springs of water at the pool of Siloam serviceable to the people in the city. Since the pool of Siloam was located just outside of the city walls, the king barricaded the normal access to the water source and instead built an underground tunnel that secretly gave access to the water from behind the safety of the city walls. This prevented the enemy from having access to the water and ensured the survival of Jerusalem no matter how long the siege would last. When the massive Assyrian army showed up at the gates of Jerusalem, king Hezekiah cried out to God and asked for Him to save him and his people. The Bible then records that in response to his prayer that God sent an angel to annihilate the armies of Assyria. In a single night the angel the LORD killed 185,000 men. A single angel wiped out an entire army. Wow!!! That is just astonishing. 

So, the point here is that when the king of Assyria attacked Jerusalem, the Israelites had access to a water source that sustained them throughout the entire siege until God showed up. 

When you are cut off from normal access to the provision and sustainment you are accustomed to using, do not be afraid. Know that God is channeling a tunnel from underground and secretly setting the stage for your provision in ways you had not seen or expected. 

Do not give up hope because amidst the turmoil and the raging battles and troubles of this world, God promises to be your nourishment and sustain you through it all. He can fill you with His peace and give you great joy no matter what is happening around you. 

God is our Protector vs. 8-11 

Vs. 9—bows are used at a distance by the enemy to kill you

Represents combat from afar

Those things that come at you from a distance, those troubles that appear out of nowhere and are often outside of your control but affect you to the core. Those trials that you are unable to struggle against but just hope end. Yes, our God is victorious over those and protects. God promises to break the bow.

Spears used in close combat trying to pierce the life out of you

Represents close quarters combat/up close and personal

Those things that you are wrestling with for dear life, the tug of war in the heart is gut wrenching. Those troubles that pierce your heart and cause you to become greatly discouraged and it’s those troubles where you want to stop fighting. You realize you cannot do it anymore, it is those troubles, trials, pains, that God will see you through. He will protect you.

Wagons and chariots—the reinforcements of the enemy are burned up completely

Represents combat yet to arrive, battles won, victories set before they even begin

Those things that are yet to come, the ammo and supplies of the enemy is on its way to cause you more and more trouble. More arrows and more spears to come, The LORD burns them away. In His mercy, goodness, and grace, God protects us from so many troubles we don’t even know about, and it is only on occasion we hear about God’s marvelous protection after the fact. Has God spared you of some trouble you could have been deep into?

This is what God says to all of that, to our very enemy, to the world system set against his rule and reign and to the flesh and sinful nature that constantly wages war upon our soul, this is what God Almighty says to it all…BE STILL (STOP FIGHTING/LET GO) and know that I am God. 

He literally steps in on our behalf and declares Himself to be fighting for His people, none can stand against the Almighty, our great protector. He is the LORD of Armies.

Adonai Tzevaot יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת 

The LORD of Armies/Hosts

This is a powerful name for God. The LORD is the ultimate God of war. He always wins. He is mighty in battle; He is the ultimate warrior who fights for His people. We can be secure knowing that God Almighty will protect us, sustain us, and help us whenever we call upon His name. 

Do you remember the Pool of Siloam that I showed you a picture of earlier? This is the same place that Jesus sent a blind man to wash and be healed. Right now, Jesus is asking you a question. Do you want to be healed? Do you need help? Are you in need of nourishment and in need of someone to sustain you? Do you want to know The LORD of Armies and have Him come to your rescue? Then go to God, run to Him and you will find Him. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

A Word Of Encouragement – Psalm 90

A Word Of Encouragement – Psalm 90

Associate Pastor Cole Parleir

Focus: The eternal God will eternally establish you and your work as you gain his wisdom by learning to number your days in light of him.

• Moses The Man of God

• Psalm 90

• Eternal Wisdom in Christ

Context

What are the Psalms

• A collection over many years of poems, prayers and laments meant to be sung or spoken to God as listener by His people individually and in groups.

• Psalms is Israel’s book of worship to guide them from generation to generation.

Psalm 90 is the beginning of “Book Four” (Psalm 90-106) 

• Our modern Bible group the collections in several ways with the main way being five ‘books’. This is a reminder of the five books of the Torah.

• Psalm 90 is a corporate lament psalm 

Who wrote it?

• Attributed to “…Moses, the man of God”

When was it written?

• Most likely during the wilderness experience and maybe around the time of Numbers 14. Some commentators believe Moses could have written it for the Israelites to use daily as a devotional.

Different titles in each translation (not scriptures, but added later)

• “From Everlasting to Everlasting” ESV

• “God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness” AMP

• “God’s Eternity and Human Frailty” LEB

Scripture calls it “A prayer of Moses, the man of God”

• The only Psalm attributed to Moses

• This makes it the oldest Psalm

• Why is Moses called “the man of God”?

  • Moses was known as God’s servant, God’s prophet, and as one who spoke with God ‘face to face’

  • Submission led to intimacy

It’s a prayer, a lament, petition and also wisdom literature

• Why a prayer? Because it’s addressed to God.

  • ‘O LORD, you…’

• Why a lament?

  • Expression of sorrow and regret of their sinfulness that is just cause for God’s wrath

• Why petition?

  • Vs 12-17 are requests according to God’s character and promises.

• Why wisdom literature?

  • It teaches us how to live in obedience to God stewarding his favor.

Moses the Man of God

• Raised for 3 months in his fathers house

• At 3 months old he was “exposed”, abandoned to die due to royal edict.

• The kings daughter found him and adopted him.

• He was raised and educated as Egyptian royalty.

• At age 40 he revisited his Israelite heritage, killed an Egyptian who mistreated an Israelite in his sight. The next day he was accused of murder and ran away.

• 0-3 months infant in earthy fathers house

• 3 months - 40 years young man in adopted house

• 40-80 years old middle aged man in father in laws house

• 80-120 years old Man of God in his Heavenly Fathers presence…yet this was the wilderness

• Home is where God’s manifest presence is: bush, staff, cloud, fire, mountain, tabernacle, temple, church, heart, heaven

Moses’ had been “exposed” his whole life. He felt vulnerable and rejected by people. He learned by necessity to not hope in what is seen. 

Faith

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

Hebrews‬ 11:1-3‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.11.1-3.ESV

God’s dwelling 

““Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’”

Acts‬ 7:44-50‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/act.7.44-50.ESV

Psalm 90

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”

Psalm‬ 90:1-17‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.90.1-17.ESV

 Verse by verse

• God is man’s Help, dwelling place, den, refuge for all generations.

• den (1), dwelling (3), dwelling place (4), habitation (6), haunt (4).

• habitation (noun) ·habitations (plural noun) the state or process of living in a particular place:

• God is creator and supersedes all you see. He was before creation and will remain after creation.

• God made man and ends man. He gives life and there is no life apart from him. Without his life we are “dirt bags”. Hebrew word ‘dakka’ means ‘something crushed’ and is not the same as Genesis 2.

• How long is a watch in the night? 3 hours for 4 watches make a night watch: 6pm to 6am. God is outside of time as he is eternal. This attribute makes him a place of refuge for mortal temporal man.

• Contrasting the eternity of God and the brevity or frailty of man. Noah and the flood as judgement on sinful humanity. Active destruction and wrath.

• Contrasting the eternity of God and the brevity or frailty of man. the

• Human death is a result of God’s anger and wrath on sin. This is terrifying because there is no human solution to sin which is an eternal problem. Humanity is frail yet accountable to God.

• God will not and cannot overlook sin. This life is a wilderness that exposes our hearts. It is ever before his face which means it defines our relationship with him. It’s always in the middle. Nothing is hidden. Judgement on sin is the main cause of mortality rather than natural order.

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews‬ 4:13‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.4.13.ESV

• Sin causes us to live lives of futility rather than fruitfulness. God’s wrath is not only reserved for the final judgement, but is ongoing toward the rebellious and building up until the final day of judgement.

• Even in our strongest attempts to extend human life it will fall short of the eternal life God intended us for. The Pride of life will not submit to God as the giver and taker of life. This pride does not recognize his holiness nor the reality of sin. This is the first mention in Psalms of a purely natural life span.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John‬ 2:15-17‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.2.15-17.ESV

1. Until we recognize and surrender to God as holy we will not have the fear due him and cannot except the life he has for us.

2. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Learning to number our days as one who is under his wrath because of sin is the beginning of wisdom that leads to eternal life.

3. Fear of the Lord leads to cries for help to him alone for only he can deliver us from himself.

4. The fear of the everlasting God will lead us to his everlasting love (chessed - Hebrew for loyal love) for found in the cross of Jesus Christ. God incarnate who took his own wrath on sin by taking our sin on himself. The cross is our refuge and dwelling place this side of eternity.

“who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sins and live to righteousness, by whose wounds you were healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but you have turned back now to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

1 Peter‬ 2:24-25‬ LEB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/90/1pe.2.24-25.LEB

Those who know this ‘chessed’ love of God in Jesus Christ do not wither like the grass, but sing praise and are glad being able to face the troubles of the day. 

1. God’s anger is for a moment because he has provided help for sin. 

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Psalm‬ 30:5‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.30.5.ESV

1. This is a prayer for the next generation, their children to know God’s mercy and love.

2. As you walk with God invite your children into it. As you learn God’s word teach it to your children.

3. This is a petition for God to do what he said he would do when they do what he commands: that he will bless their obedience to his commands.

“I know everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it, for God so acts that humans might stand in awe before him. What is—it already was, and what will be—it already is, for God will do what he has done.”

Ecclesiastes‬ 3:14-15‬ LEB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/90/ecc.3.14-15.LEB

Eternal Wisdom In Christ

We must learn to number our days in view of spending eternity with the holy and living God.  When we do we  will be in awe of God and will recognize his power along with our frailty and sinfulness.  He becomes to us Jehovah-Jireh, meaning “the Lord will provide.”

“So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.””

Genesis‬ 22:14‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.22.14.ESV

God in his eternal wisdom, power, and love for humanity has provided for us.  He sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to the cross on the hill of Calvary to satisfy his wrath on sin. By repentance and faith in Christ we are reconciled to God and walk with him again. 

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

1 Corinthians‬ 1:30-31‬ ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.1.30-31.ESV

By repentance from dead works and faith in God’s wisdom of the cross of Christ for our forgiveness and new life, we can begin to number our days.  By the power of the Holy Spirit we can lead a life of wisdom obeying God that he may establish the work of our hands because it is His work in us and through us. 

Life on earth is short.  Eternity is long.  Live for eternity by trusting in Jesus Christ.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Exodus Chronicles: Part 11

Exodus Chronicles: Part 11

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: God desires to make you part of his holy people, set apart to live in the wisdom and redemption of Christ.   

• The End of the Exodus

• A Consecrated People

• Living in the Wisdom of Christ

The End of the Exodus 

God’s end in the Exodus was to create a holy people to be his treasured possession. 

Exodus 19:1-8

On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 

As stated in the Westminster Catechism as a careful synopsis of the Scripture:

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”

As God was bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, he made it clear that his end was to bring a people to himself who would be his treasured possession in all of the earth.  

These people would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  

To be such a people, we would have to heed God's voice by knowing his covenant, expressed through his Word, living lives of faith and obedient application of that Word in the world.  

The following chapter would begin the record of God giving his laws, the basis of his covenant, to the people.  

A Consecrated People 

The Holy Spirit works to make us a consecrated people. 

Exodus 19:9-25

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord  to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord  consecrate themselves, lest the Lord  break out against them.” And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Holiness and consecration work hand in hand.

Holiness is the goal - being inwardly set apart to God, producing outward actions of consecration in our life, speech, love, faith and purity.  

The rubber has to meet the road connecting:

1. what God says in his Word to

2. what we say we believe to

3. what we value and

4. therefore how we live.

This is what it means to live a holy and consecrated life.

To be a consecrated people means to be set apart to God - for God’s purposes and God’s glory. 

Sanctification is God’s ongoing process of making us holy through the renewing of our hearts and minds replacing the old idolatry of humanism. 

“Humanism is the defiant denial of the God who is there, with man defiantly set up in the place of God as the measure of all things.”

— Francis Schaeffer

The Israelites were to wash their clothing as an outward symbol of the inward purifying of their hearts, coming into alignment with God.  

2 Timothy 2:22

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Living in the Wisdom of Christ

God consecrates us to live in the wisdom of Christ - forever in the shadow of the cross and the hope of the resurrection.  

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

There is a difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God.

As a holy, consecrated people, we are called to live by the wisdom of Christ. 

The Word and presence of God are anchors amidst the emotional buffeting of a world that rages against Christ:

“How many winds of doctrine we have known in recent decades, how many ideological currents, how many ways of thinking. The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves - thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth. Every day new sects are created and what Saint Paul says about human trickery comes true, with cunning which tries to draw those into error (cf Ephesians 4, 14). Having a clear Faith, based on the Creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas, relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and 'swept along by every wind of teaching', looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards. We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires. However, we have a different goal: the Son of God, true man. He is the measure of true humanism. Being an 'Adult' means having a faith which does not follow the waves of today's fashions or the latest novelties. A faith which is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ is adult and mature. It is this friendship which opens us up to all that is good and gives us the knowledge to judge true from false, and deceit from truth.” 

― Pope Benedict XVI 

All of the wisdom of Christ leads to the cross.

Through his life, Jesus satisfied all of the righteous requirements of the law.

Matthew 5:17-20 

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Through his blood spilled at the cross and by his resurrection from the dead, faith in Jesus’ finished work became the foundation of a new covenant with God.  

In the cross and the resurrection EVERYONE can find both God’s forgiveness and redemption.  

Repentance - a change of mind to come into agreement with God and go in a different direction - is key to this new life.  

Here, as we follow Jesus by faith, we have a new wisdom through which we are free  to look out not only for ourselves, but to consider the interests of others, that the love of God might be seen and Jesus might be glorified (Philippians 2).  

It is countercultural and counterintuitive to our sinful nature, but denying yourself and picking up your cross daily are a prerequisite to serving Jesus as a disciple.

Matthew 16:24-27 

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

The good news of the gospel is that if we die with him as we live day by day, we will also live, rule and reign with Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:8-13 

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Redemption comes as we allow God to use our lives in a fallen world to be salt and light, preserving and flavoring it a bit longer, until Jesus returns to make all wrong things right. 

“Give your life to Christ. It doesn’t mean that you give up your career and your business. It means that you go back into your career, go back into your business, and live for Christ—unless it’s something dishonest. Make the choice. Turn from the broad road to the narrow road today.”

-Billy Graham

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Exodus Chronicles: Part 10

Exodus Chronicles: Part 10

Pastor: Rollan Fisher

Focus: To walk with Christ is to find your value, meaning, purpose and grace.   

• A Christian Call to Leadership

• Value and Meaning

• God’s Purpose and Grace

A Christian Call to Leadership 

As you walk with God, every Christian will be called to grow in how they influence others for Christ.  

Exodus 18:1-16

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 

Moses gave testimony of all that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had done for them in delivering the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians.  

In doing so, Moses influenced Jethro to worship Yahweh as the only true God above all other false deities.  

Each of us have a BC (before Christ), cross (how we turned to Christ) and AD (how things have been different since coming  to Christ) experience of God’s deliverance that we should regularly share with those around us to bring glory to God.  

If you do not have this, now is the time to turn away from your sins to Jesus, who died sacrificially on the cross to take the punishment for your rebellion against a holy God.  

Through Christ’s resurrection from the dead, he not only grants you eternal life, but sets you free from your slavery to sin that you might have a testimony of deliverance in which others might also participate by faith!

When was the last time that you shared your story of God’s deliverance?

Though God had used Moses to deliver the Israelites and influence Jethro’s worship, God had leadership multiplication in mind. 

Jethro understood that the work of God was not to be accomplished by Moses alone. 

*We need humility, not a critical nature, to walk with Christ, his people and to fully execute God’s game plan.  

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, educator, businessman, actor, stay at home parent, techie, politician, athlete, entertainer, retired grandparent, social media influencer or facilities manager, you are called to influence the world around you for Christ.  

Have you found your gift and place of service?

How are you using it to influence the world for Christ?

Value and Meaning 

As you walk with God he illuminates your indisputable value and leads you to life’s all-sufficient meaning in Christ.  

17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

For all of the Israelites to grow in the knowledge, commands and worship of God, multiplying amongst their posterity and through the generations, it would take the appointment of leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.  

This is why we have community groups as a vehicle for discipleship, with the goal of multiplication, for the influence of God to be established and Increased in our cities.  

Why do people wander and find themselves trapped in the search for momentary pleasure?

“When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.”

-Viktor E. Frankl

Value is given by Him to whom you belong - God created you in His image (Genesis 1:26,27 - Imago Dei).  

Meaning is given by the purpose to which He has called you.  

“We don't seek to escape this life by dreaming of heaven. But we do find we can endure this life because of the certainty of heaven. Heaven is eternal. Earth is temporal. Those who fix all their affections of the fleeting things of this world are the real escapists, because they are vainly attempting to avoid facing eternity - by hiding in the fleeting shadows of things that are only transient.”

-John MacArthur 

Therefore, there is no greater gift than to be delivered in the Great Commission of Christ and there is no greater eternal purpose than in seeing the Great Commission reach its end.  

There is no fulfilling the great commission of God without expanding teamwork where every believer finds both their gift and place of service.  

You influence the worship of God in things like hospitality, greeting, in children’s ministry, on the set-up team for service or baptisms, on the worship team, on the video and tech crew as you help the word and testimony of Christ to literally reach the nations.   

This is why we have ministry teams for everyone to find a fruitful place of influence.

God’s Purpose and Grace

You find both God’s purpose for your life and grace when you finally serve Christ as Lord.  

Matthew 20:1-16 

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went.  Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

This parable is ultimately about God’s common grace for all who would repent of their sins and follow Jesus, putting their hope in his work at the cross alone to secure salvation.  

Yet it is also a call for us to embrace the lasting value and meaning that will only be found in Christ as we discover our purpose in his vineyard.  

What is lasting always goes back to Christ and his vineyard.  

God’s purpose for you individually will forever be aligned with his Kingdom purpose that surrounds you corporately.  

It is in serving Christ in his vineyard that we find not only our eternal purpose, but our eternal reward.  

Matthew 25 clearly states that God will not save us, but reward us according to what we have done.  

“Desiring to excel is not a sin. It is motivation that determines ambition’s character. Our Lord never taught against the urge to high achievement, but He did expose and condemn unworthy motivation.”

-J Oswald Sanders in Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer 

Acts 2:36-47 

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Have you met Jesus in his vineyard?

Who’s vineyard are you living to tend - Christ’s or your own?

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Exodus Chronicles: Part 9

Exodus Chronicles: Part 9 

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: We must learn new responses in our times of trial to see Jesus break through as the Lord - our banner of victory. 

• Learned Responses

• Keep Those Hands Up

• To the Lord Our Banner

Learned Responses 

We must learn new responses to God during our times of trial.  

Exodus 17:1-7 

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

God moves us into his promises by stages. 

God always has a plan.  

The Israelites were camped by the commandment of the Lord where there was no water for the people to drink, but again, God had a plan.

Familiar challenges are part of your walk with God (Remember the Israelites in Exodus 15:22-26 at Marah).

God uses the challenges to bring out what is in our hearts, that we might see clearly and be conformed to the image of Christ.  

*The wilderness is ultimately about our character development, not God’s faithfulness.  

God gives you similar challenges over and over so that you grow in your RESPONSES - learning how to trust the Lord (think of Jesus feeding the 5000 and then the 4000). 

Every place where God commands you to camp, he has a plan for miraculous provision to show both his sovereignty and care for you.

Despite this, like the Israelites, our tendency is to quarrel and complain.

God is kind to instruct us during those times as grumbling children on the path to maturity.  

Yet this grace must never be taken for granted.  

Leadership always needs to be ready to set the pace in seeking the Lord for a solution in times of trial, passing on before the people as an example.

Moses taking in his hand the staff with which he struck the Nile communicated that the same faithfulness that God showed his people before would be the same power and faithfulness that he would show them again - this time in new territory on their way to the promise.

The lesson that we need to learn is that testing the Lord is not good.

The presumption and audacity of people who casually talk about being angry with God and speaking ill words against him needs to stop.

To see the supernatural power and provision of God, we must walk in a humble fear of the Lord.

Massah and Meribah were so named to mark the Israelites immaturity and the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of it.

*Where does the Lord need to mature you in the midst of your responses to life’s challenges?

Keep Those Hands Up

God’s breakthroughs come on the heels of prayer and praise.   

The right response to our challenges should be prayer and praise. 

Exodus 15 begins with a beautiful picture of how we should all respond in gratitude and thankfulness when it is clear that the Lord has delivered us.

Over the course of time, the further we get from the actual moment of deliverance, the greater the temptation is to allow our gratitude to dull and our thankfulness to wane.

Thankfulness is a muscle to be developed.

What God is showing us in Rephidim is that which comes  to steal our thankfulness and joy.  

Exodus 17:8-13

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 

The Hebrew root word for Amal had the meaning of: trouble, wearisome labor and toil. 

Just as of blotted out the Egyptian chariots, so he intended to blot out the Amalekite threat from the Israelites, which means there is no enemy, no challenge - past, present or FUTURE - that the Lord is not willing and able to give his people victory through.  

Here is the key:  As long as Moses' hands were raised, the Israelites were winning.  

Whenever they were lowered, the Amalekites were winning.

There is a direct correlation to prayer and praise here.

1 Timothy 2:8 

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

It starts with the men!

Aaron and Hur show us the need for community in the fight - STOP SKIPPING CHURCH! 

*There are fallacies to the idea of simply relying on a remote church experience. 

Stop fooling yourself - deception is spoken of over and over again in the Bible. 

The act of inconveniencing yourself to get out of bed and come to physically fellowship with other believers is good practice for the DAILY EXPECTATION TO DENY YOURSELF, PICK UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW CHRIST if you are to be a disciple (Luke 9:23,24).  

It is the same with the regular practice of tithing when I give my FIRST AND BEST 10% to God remembering that all of life depends on him and is to be stewarded for him.  

These are outward practices for inward character development. 

Luke 9:23-24 

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Everyone wants to shoot like Steph Curry, but few want to put in the work to be like him. 

People say they want to please Christ, but few want to fulfill acts of righteousness to be like him (think of Christ’s baptism). 

You are not living under God’s banner when you are picking and choosing what you will obey, and therefore should not expect victory.  

*We win in every area when we do what God says, Christ’s way.  

To the Lord Our Banner

When we learn to come to Christ and his church through our trials, we see clearly that Jesus is forever lifted up over every circumstance as our banner of victory.  

Exodus 17:14-16

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

In Christ’s glory, you will find your victory. 

John 12:27-33 

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

God blotted the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.  

Christ would achieve the ultimate victory for all who would turn to him by forever blotting out the guilt of our sins by paying for our forgiveness through his sacrificial death at the cross.  

Though we were once objects of God’s wrath, we have peace with God and victory over sin as we look to Christ, our banner lifted up, now resurrected from the dead, that we might have eternal life through his finished work. 

*In this and every situation, we learn that the victories of Christ are not temporary, but eternal.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher